Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-11-24

She was indeed an object Of pity; her poor
members trembled and shook with nervous
tension She had hoped that Raymond would
console her with kind word, but his lips re-
manned closed.
SIT was shell She lied to mel She would
lie to me again. Whya must know, and I
will know"
And Julia, who understood. closed her
weary eyes, wishing to hide the phantom
that stood between her and her idolized son.
Raymond passed his days and nights in
consulting and studying the case Of Roger
Laroque He weighed the testimony word
by word as if his own life trembled in the
balance. That which drew his attention was
that suddenly, in the very midst Of his
most eloquent plea, his father had fallen and
Roger, who had sustained his innocence until
then, rose and said:
"Search no more, / am guilty"
Raymond found friend Of his fathers
who had witnessed this tragic end, and no
told Raymond of tho letter that he had seen
handed to Lucien, who had at first appeared
much affected by its contents, but he after
ward had rallied and continued his plea
until death overlook him there. Perhaps
this letter was the key to tine whole mystery.
As Raymond sat thinking On this subject a
thought flashed into his mind
"He wore his gown. / have it here. Who
knows but that letter is in the pocketp
That black silk gown had been laid away
among the legal papers, and Raymond had
taken it and folded it tenderly and brought
it with him to his little apartment in Paris.
He now unfolded it and felt in the pocket,
which was made deep and wide to hold pa
pers of moment. There in the bottom,
crushed as that dead hand had crushed it in
shame ard dishonor was the note which had
killed Lucien as surely as if it had been real
poison, instead of the treachery Of those be
best loved.
Long hours this poor boy sat with this aw-
full proof before his aching eyes
"Mother, oh, my motheri" he groaned.
He had loved his mother so. Now he found
| that she had been criminal She was THE
| woman
! 1t was all clear now. Had she loved Roger
at the date of the trial she would have come
| forward and proved him innocent; but she
did not, and that proved that this was ven
geance And the dates of the events in that
/ vengeance had been written on his mutilated
! photograph by the hand that prepared this
! vengeance. Laroque had told the truth.
/ Julia was the guilty one, and he saw all that
I life held that was precious to him slipping
/ away, and Suzanne was lost to him foreverl
1t was not alone because he loved his native
4 country that Laroque had returned to France.
! he wished to clear his name from the false
/ charge of murder. he was now in Paris
searching, searching everywhere everything
and every place which could give him the
! least idea of what could be the solution Of this
mystery. He haunted the club where he won
| the 50,0O0francs but all to no purpose, and at
I last he saw that lie should need the services of
/ two expert detectives. He remembered the
names and regulations of TriStot and Pivolot,
and he decided upon employing them. Hav-
/ ing now as a starting point the explanation
/ that Suzanne had given MIN, he wanted TO
| find the man who had SO resembled him as to
4 deceive his own wife and child.
! So he presented himself at the pretty and
/ tasteful abode of these two famous detectives,
and told them that he wished to engage their
services in difficult and delicate matter,
which should be largely paid for.
you already know something of this mat
I ter" said Roger, ~and you viii remember it
/ well when l tell you that it relates to the
murder Of Larouette, and the condemnation
4 of Roger LarOque for the crime he did not
commit
I s.But be confessed himself guilty"
4 because the shadow Of the crime be did
commit lay heavier on him than the one be
did not Listen now until you hess- TIE trath